The KipstR wristband has been developed by Ryan Oliver,15, and Jonathan Kingsley, 14, who are both studying at Manchester’s Creative Studio. The smart device has been created in partnership with Virgin Media as part of the Switched on Futures initiative.

KipstR, which is manufactured using a 3D printer, incorporates a pulse-oximeter that monitors the wearer’s heart rate and alerts the Virgin Media TiVo box when it falls to levels associated with being asleep. The box then automatically pauses and records the remainder of the programme, allowing the user to carry on whenever they wake up.

The head of advanced technology at Virgin Media, Neil Illingworth, explained that the KipstR project is just the beginning of more intelligent entertainment products.

“We have been exploring the possibilities of connected entertainment for some time and are very excited to unveil KipstR,” he said. “With emerging new technologies, it is possible to create almost anything, such as emotionally intelligent entertainment systems that can suggest shows based on your moods, or even harnessing brainwaves to control your television.”

Earlier in the year, the Netflix hackathon event demonstrated that a commercially available fitness tracker could also be tweaked to automatically pause content when the user falls asleep. The Fitbit One analysed the wearer’s movements to determine when they were no longer awake.

Anyone interested in the KipstR wristband, which Virgin Media claims may be able to connect to other devices in the future like central heating, can register their interest in trialling the device here. So even if you eat yourself into a Christmas dinner-induced coma, there’s no need to miss out on that end-of-year Doctor Who special.